Interlocking tray



June 8 1926.

- W. W, SAINT ET AL VINTERLOCKING TRAY Filed August 25, 1924 f Invaders-- mnif rdmsazhzt,

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Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,588,271 PATENT OFFICE? FORNIA; SAID HIGGINS ASSIGNOR TO SAID SAINT.

INTERLOCKING TRAY.

Application filed August 25, 1924. Serial No. 733,960.

This invention relates to trays or containers, and especially to an interlocking connection whereby a number of trays may be interlocked.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the 'con-' struction and operation of trays of the character described; to provide a tray which is substantial in construction and cheap to manufacture; a tray which may be nested for storage or shipment, and further, a tray which is provided with an interlocking connection, whereby a plurality of trays of uniform or various sizes may be quickly and readily interlocked or disconnected as desired.

One formwvhich our invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the tray.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the tray is' formed.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a number oftrays of various sizes connected and interlocked.

Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section of a tray showing the manner in which the sides may be bent outwardly if it is desired to enlarge or increase the capacity of the tray.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the tray consists of a bottom secv tion 2 and connected side and end sections indicated at 3 and 4:, respectively. It will also be noted that the upper edges of the side and end sections are turned outwardly and downwardly as shown, and that flanges are thus formed on the upper edges, the function of which will hereinafter be described.

The tray is preferably constructed of thin sheet metal or a like material. -It is formed from a blank such as shown in Fig. 2, which is cut by a die or other suitable means. The side and end sections are bent upwardly along the dotted lines indicated at 5 and 6, and the upper edges are then bent outwardly and downwardly along the dotted lines indicated at 7 and 8, thus producing a curled, hook-like flange on each side and end section. These hook-like flanges are adapted to overlap each other when the trays under normal conditions.

trays are placed side by side, or end for end, as shown in Fig. 3, and this overlapping'of the flanges produces an interlocking con.- nection which prevents separation of the For the purpose of permitting the trays to be readily and quickly interlocked when desired, and also for the purpose of main.- taining the trays in a perfect horizontal position, with the bottom sections engaging the counter or other support upon which they are placed, it is necessary that two of the flanges be bent or shaped in'such 'a manner as to be slightly larger than the opposite flanges. For instance, the hook-like flanges indicated at 9 and lOarelargerthan the hook-like flanges indicated at 11 and 12. The flanges?) and'10 are furthermore slightly higher than the flanges 11 and 12; that V is, the increased height being merely that of the thickness of the metal employed.

This is important as it permits the flange 9,

as shown in Fig. 4a, to overlap the flange 11.,

permitting the-bottom sections to assume upon which they are placed/'{The difierence' in height of the flanges 9 and 11*is clearly shown in Fig. 4, but'as the'height is merely equal to the thickness of the metal,

it is obvious that it is hardlyperceptible to the eye and in no way destroys the uniform appearance of the sideand end sections when asingle tray is employed, as shown in Fig. 1. l

By again referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the corners between the side and end sections are slightly open, as indicated at 14. This is produced by cutting out the metal at the corners, as indicated at 15, when forming the blank shown in Fig. 2. These openings in the corners of the tray serve an important function when trays of various sizes are assembled and interlocked, as shown in Fig. 3. For instance, two trays of uniform size are indicated ,at A and B, and a third tray, having alength equal to the trays A and B, is indicated at C. This tray is a duplicate in construction of the trays indicated at A and B, the only difference being that it is twice as long. The flange indicated at 9, which is the large flange, extends from end to end of the tray C and overlaps the smaller flanges indicated by dotted lines at 11 of the trays A and B.v

without raising or tilting the trays, thus The large flange 9 of the tray G could not overlap the smaller flanges 11 of the respective trays A and B unless the corners were open, but as the corners are open, as previously described, the flange 9 can settle down over the flanges 1'1 and a perfect interlock is thus made between two small trays and a large tray.

Another reason for leaving the corners open is to permit a slight enlargement of the trays; that is, the side and end sections normally assume the full line position shown in Fig. 5, but they may be bent, outwardly, as indicated by dotted lines at. 16, if it is desired to slightly enlarge the tray or to changeit-s appearance.

The trays, as previously described, are exceedingly simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, as the blanks may be formed by die operations and the side and end sections, together with the flangesi), 10, lland .12, may also be bent up and formed by die action. Uniformity in size is also obtained by such construction and it is,

therefore, possible to nest all trays of uniform size for shipment, storage or otherwise. The trays maybe readily assembled when required for use, as it is merely necessary to overlap the flanges of the adjacenttrays. They may be arranged in line formation or in squares, and in fact in any arrangement desired, and as such may be used to advan tage for display purposes in store windows, counters and otherwise. They may also serve the purpose of containers for samples, other kinds of goods, etc, and as the trays may be square in shape, rectangular or otherwise, theymay be designed to support any articles desired.

While certain features of the present invention are more or less specifically illusv trated, we wish it understood that Various changes in form and proportion may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. e similarly wish it understood that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of the manufac turer may dictate or various uses may demand.

Having thus described our invention, what we claimand desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- I V I 1. A tray formation consisting of a plurality of trays, each tray having (lOWll-LUIDGd;

height and size as to detachably overlie the sid s and end flanges of adjacent trays, the flangeson the latter trays being of a. lesser height and. size than the said overlying flanges.

3. As an element of atray formation comprising a plurality of detachably connected trays, a. tray having: down-turned flanges at opposite sides and ends, the flanges on one side and end being of a greater height and sizethan the opposite side and end flanges whereby the flanges on one tray are adapted to overlie the smallerflanges o'f- Ladjacent trays; V WINTFORD WV. "SAINT.

WARREN HIGGINS. 

